The ink wasn't even dry on the 2023 NBA offseason and the new collective bargaining agreement was already under fire.
"You either make $50 million or $2 [million]," former player Austin Rivers said then. "It's a joke, bro. I can't tell you how many midlevel guys are signing for the vet minimum around the NBA."
More scrutiny followed throughout the 2024 offseason when the league introduced the salary cap's restrictive second apron, which curtailed high-spending teams adding to their roster outside of their own players. A year later, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green stoked the flames further when he said that the new CBA ruined the thrill of the annual free agency frenzy.